A must win game for Newcastle United? | OneFootball

Just over six weeks into the season and is this the question to be asked, a must win game for Newcastle United?

Eddie Howe and his players have their second Champions League match tonight.

So is defeating Union Saint-Gilloise a must win match for NUFC?

After eight games of the season gone, Newcastle United have won two, drawn three and lost three.

Strolling through to the last 16 of the Carabao Cup but 15th in the Premier League and yet to pick up a point in the Champions League.

Of course, the defeats that have happened, have been to last season’s La Liga winners (and Champions League finalists, as well as the pair of clubs who were top two in the Premier League last season and currently are there once again, plus very likely to stay there.

There is one double-sided absolute truism in football though…

When you are winning football matches NOTHING else matters.

When you are not winning football matches EVERYTHING else matters.

With Newcastle United failing to win six of the eight matches played this season, then obviously we are seeing that second bit prevailing. Fans and media questioning everything, much of it fair points being made, though naturally daft stuff (as usual) as well.

The fact is that you don’t have to play Liverpool, Barcelona or Arsenal every week.

What it does mean though is that Newcastle United have to make it a regular habit once again of winning against the teams lower down the pecking order.

None of this (certainly in my opinion) discussion about a must win game or not tonight (or any time this season) involves any discussion about whether Eddie Howe’s position should be under threat. He has performed miracles so far to get Newcastle United where they are and even at the very least, he should have the rest of this season to see what he can achieve once again.

Instead, I see the whether tonight is a must win game question, simply with regards to how our season will turn out on the pitch.

What we have experienced so far these past years under Eddie Howe, is that when he gets his team properly firing and fully functioning, they can go on some extraordinary winning runs.

Obviously they need to start somewhere and I think this week, Newcastle United either have to win against both Union Saint-Gilloise and Nottingham Forest, or at the very least a point tonight and a win on Sunday.

Either of those outcomes in this next pair of matches would at least settle things down a bit, send United into the October international break with a little momentum, then hopefully a chance for Eddie Howe to regroup and get the likes of Wissa and Ramsey back fully fit to help take on the run of games after the international break.

Union Saint-Gilloise have already shown that this will be no easy game tonight. The 3-1 opening Champions League win away at PSV Eindhoven was no fluke, they scored in the first ten minutes, added another goal before half-time and then another after the break, with PSV not getting their consolation strike until the 90th minute.

Newcastle United need to continue with the quality of defending they have shown overall this season so far, but show they are capable now in the more winnable matches, of creating plenty of opportunities AND turning a healthy proportion of them into goals.

If they do so tonight, then I think Newcastle United will win.

A victory tonight can kickstart the season and Eddie Howe’s team follow up with a win on Sunday over Forest as well.